Chapter 71
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The Triwizard Cup was cold in her grip as she landed in the Maze, just able to see the entrance as she began to walk towards it. Her scar burned but now it was a dull pain. Her emotions refused to function now, so her face was blank when she reached the entrance and heard the deafening cheers.
Emperor clutched himself to her stomach as her good hand gripped the cup until her knuckles were white. She began to limp slightly, the cuts on her thigh now burning with each step because the fabric tugged at them.
As soon as she stepped through, the music became louder and she saw everyone cheering, regardless of if they were her fans or not. Even the other Champions were clapping for her as she walked.
She stopped and chucked the trophy onto the ground, letting it bounce as everyone continued to celebrate. She just wanted to leave but she couldn't. Taking the bracelet and necklace off of Emperor, she clipped each one back on before sliding her rings back on. Her Potter ring sat on her right middle finger now, the Slytherin family coat of arms was another ring that sat on her left pinky while the Black family ring was tucked onto her left thumb.
"With Rebekah Potter returning with the Triwizard Cup, we have the winner of the Triwizard Tournament of 1994!" Minister Fudge announced. "Now I ask all here to congratulate each Champion…" And then Fudge began to announce each Champion and everyone cheered for each one on their rankings. It was Fleur, Viktor, Cedric, and then Rebekah as the Winner.
The four of them were herded into the main tent again, and their injuries finally acted on. With the nature of the tournament, they had brought in Healers from St Mungo's. Each Champion had at least two Healers working on them. There was a slight problem.
Cedric had phsyical evidence of the torture curse being used on him.
Viktor had a foggy memory of the last bit of the tournament, so one of the Healers more adept at mind healing went in to check. It was concluded that Viktor had been the one to use the torture curse while he was Imperised himself.
Viktor Krum wouldn't be charged because he was Imperised into doing it but an investigation would be set forth.
"Rebekah," Cedric said after the Healers finished with him. "How did you acquire the dislocated shoulder? You didn't have it before you touched the cup."
"You're gonna be glad I took the cup now," Rebekah smiled sheepishly.
"Why's that?"
"The cup was a portkey, and it wasn't linked to Hogwarts," Rebekah hissed in pain when Madam Pomfrey poured a liquid into her thigh, almost making her kick the older Witch. "I landed funny and hurt my shoulder. Nothing too bad."
Rebekah had to take off the sweatshirt which just left her in a simple sports bra which had Potter across the front and back in green. Her trousers were ruined, the right leg needed to be cut up to be able to properly heal the cuts.
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Rebekah was devoured in the hug Sirius gave her, clutching her close to his chest as he heaved her smell in. It was one of the ways an Animagus could calm themselves. She wanted to cry, not out of sadness but out of frustrations. She clutched at his tailored robes, pulling him closer as he was one of the last she would want to lose.
For now, the Dursleys were safe in the Muggle World.
"Can I have a private word with Dumbledore and the Minister?" Rebekah said after a few minutes of hugging Sirius, smiling softly. "Something occured that I need to address."
Within moments of her saying this, she was escorted off of the Quidditch field and into Dumbeldore's office with Sirius, McGonagall, Snape, and Minister Fudge in tow. Her friends weren't allowed to follow her, they celebrated in the Dungeons with everyone else.
"So you're saying that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back?" Fudge asked, suddenly sweating bullets. "How can he be back?"
"I don't know how. Peter Pettigrew was there," Rebekah looked down as she leaned against one of the walls with Sirius next to her. He sneered in anger and disgust as he paced. "He was the only one there at the beginning with a bundle. I think the bundle held Voldemort's form because it was dropped into a caldron and that is where he appeared from."
"What did Pettigrew take and put into the caldron?" Dumbledore asked.
"Bone of Tom Riddle senior, my blood," Rebekah touched the healed area now, even the barely visible scar would heal perfectly. "And he cut off his own hand before Voldemort made him a metal one."
"Who were there? Which Death Eaters joined him again?"
Rebekah just shook her head. "I don't know. Voldemort made it so I couldn't hear him after I kept interrupting him. That's how I acquired the cuts and the dislocated arm."
Rebekah was not happy about the three cuts on her thigh. Unlike the one on her face, these wouldn't heal as well. It would take a while for the scars to even begin to fade, and then they might never completely disappear.
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Within three hours, Barty Crouch Junior was arrested by Aurors and the real Alastor Moody was found. Rebekah had allowed herself to be interrogated by Barty Crouch with his wand pointed at her heart. She felt no fear as she knew her shields were up, and the protection she would get from Emperor by her side, Fidele wrapped around her waist, and Enyo around her neck, would be enough to deter any and all attacks from the Death Eater.
Rebekah had to go back to Dumbledore's office and get a memory out of her mind, letting Minister Fudge look at the memory and finally deciding to believe that Voldemort was back. Within the next fortnight, Minister Fudge would have a formal trial for Barty Crouch and formally say that Voldemort is back.
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Almost no one saw Rebekah until the Leaving Feast, and when they did, Rebekah showed off the scar she received this time. The three long scars were still pink and fresh on her thigh. At their thickest points, they were almost an inch and a half wide and tapered off as they reached the ends.
Rebekah hadn't spoken to her friends for a while, much longer than she had ever done so. Rebekah had to make up the excuse of needing time to process everything while in fact she was getting ready to do the loyalty ritual. It took great preparation, and with her time turner, it wasn't that difficult to get ready within a few days.
"The end," Dumbledore began the last feast speech as the banner of Slytherin waved behind him, "of another year. I have some grave news. The Minister of Magic would prefer me to not say anything, but I doubt it would do us any good to not know. When Miss Potter was put into the tournament, it was meant as a way to get her to die. Regardless of your age, you should know that Lord Voldemort was resurrected because of an imposter in Hogwarts but that imposter has been taken care of.
"Rebekah was able to escape Lord Voldemort with her life," He continued. "She showed that you must not be afraid in the light of death but let it keep you alive. Very few Wizards have been able to face Lord Voldemort with their lives and good spirit alive, and for her bravery for coming forward and letting the Ministry handle it, I honor her for her actions in the last week."
A single tear dripped from her eyes as Rebekah remained seated, and being one of very few to do so. One member was Travers, seated at the far end of Ravenclaw, and a few others were the older Slytherins who gave her the harshest death glares that couldn't even compare to her own.
Everyone stood, even those from Durmstrang who had lost their headmaster, and raised their goblets.
When everyone had once again resumed their seats, Dumbledore continued, "The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding. In the light of what has happened - of Lord Voldemort's return - such ties are more important than ever before. Every guest in this Hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come. I say to you all, once again - in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.
"It is my belief - and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken - that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this Hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. I wish you a good and pleasant summer…"
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Within the coldness of the Chamber, the group was warm as they stood around a small goblet that had fire pouring out of it. A dagger shared amongst them, they drew a long line from down from the middle of their palm to the wrist and allowed the blood to drip into the fire with a sizzle and hiss.
The collected blood glowed brightly, enough that it made them shut their eyes or be blinded. The blood rose from the goblet and turned into a complete ball of golden light before almost exploding and hitting everyone's hands.
Then they burned.
Collapsing in unison, everyone was unable to contain the screams of pain as the bindings were being placed. The only relief they got was when they held hands in a circle, showing the unity between them. But if they didn't, the main multiplied until they couldn't even scream with raw throats.
What felt like hours was mere seconds as the spell sealed itself into their skin, the golden blood marking their skin with the chain that would bind them forever.
The group would never be able to betray each other. If they were to fight against each other, their spells would inflict damage but never enough to injury them permanently and never enough to kill. Nor would they be able to ask another to kill them. Secrets shared couldn't be spilt unless they all agreed, even if they were tortured.
This ritual would force their minds into becoming like that of an Occlumens', unbreakable and unreadable with force.
And it forced them into a deep sleep that lasted until the morning. Rebekah had used her Time Turner one last time for the school year and went back two hours, making sure everyone had their bags packed and belonging put into trunks or suitcases as she knew they wouldn't have done it before the ritual.
The morning came much too soon for the groggy group of seven, now loyal to no one but themselves, and even if they didn't drink coffee, they easily down the bitter concoction at breakfast when Rebekah presented the goblets.
"It's too earl-ly!" Pansy groaned, laying her head on the clear area of the table. She lifted her head, glaring at Rebekah who was just sipping a coffee and chewing on a croissant. "How are you not affected?"
"I have all the time in the world." Rebekah smiled over her coffee cup before taking a sip and putting it down. "I guess I'm used to it."
"The pain? The tiredness? What?"
"I am doing twelve subjects at once," She said. "I'm used to being tired constantly."
"Wouldn't the classes clash?" Draco asked as a light bulb went off in his head. "That's how you've been getting to class every day and getting so much done!" He lowered his voice. "A Time Turner?"
Rebekah blinked, laughing. "Did it take you this long to figure this out? You're supposed to be one of the brightest."
"Not all of us can keep secrets as well as you could," Blaise commented, looking at his dark hands. "But I guess we can now…"
Their hands only ached now, barely registering as pain.
The gold lines wrapped around their wrists, two thin, zigzagging lines overlapped until they united again and then went upwards into the palm. Starting at the bend of the wrist, two zigzagging lines reached upwards into the palm until it hit the base where the middle and ring finger met, letting the lines split into two and a single zigzag line ran up each finger and up to the tips.
This design happened on each of their hands, creating fourteen identical designs as the ritual finished.
On their way back to the dorms, Viktor was able to stop Rebekah and ask her a very important question. Should he invite Hermione to visit during the summer? He was really interested in getting to know the MuggleBorn Witch, even if it didn't last into a relationship. If he wanted to pursue her, he needed to do it without hesitation or there wasn't going to be a chance of it thriving.
Hermione seemed to be giddy for the last few hours after that.
Durmstrang was the first to leave, their ship slowly sinking back into the lake as it disappeared. Then it was the Beauxbatons, letting the soft hum of their horses' beating winds be the last thing Hogwarts heard from them.
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"A little bug," Pansy smirked on the train, shaking the jar with a scared little beetle inside of it. "Told me that you would prefer to not be spied on. I caught her trying to sneak on one of my conversations and just had to trap her."
"Well done," Daphne said, watching Rebekah scribble on a piece of parchment before sending it off with Hedwig and a small bundle. "Who're you writing to?"
"Weasley twins," Rebekah replied.
"Why?"
"I've given them the prize money,"
"And, why?"
"They gave me the Map last year," Rebekah pulled her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. "And I thought it was time to return the favor. You know they are pranksters, right?"
Theo snorted. "The whole school knows."
"Yes, well," Rebekah chucked her jumping chocolate frog at him, making a brown blob appear on his right sleeve. "I heard they wanted to start a mini business for jokes and I helped out. Really just want to know where they will go with it."
The train ride was long and mostly silent but comfortably so.
How they fit seven people, mini Dragon, snake, and large cat into a single compartment would remain a mystery to us all.
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